Can end feeding and marking mechanism



y 21, 1940- o. A. SCHMVVI'IT v 2,201,924

CAN END FEEDING AND MARKING IEGHANISH Original Filed Nov. 10, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 0110 A. Schmih O. A. SCHMITT CAN END FEEDING AND MARKING MECHANISM May 21, 1940.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Nov. 10, 1937 Srwcm tom 1 01550 A. Sc/rhrifz V z L v Menu/1 5 R9 mm m m Q uw @N AR May 21, 1940. I o. A. SCHMITT 2,201,924

CAN END FEEDING AND MARKING IEGHANISH Original Filed Nov. in; 1937 s Sheets-Sheet s Otto/4- schmizi Patented May 21, 1940 N OFFICE on: sun FEEDING AND MARKING MECHANISM Otto A. *sehmnt smnse. 1v. 1., assig'nor to Continental Gan Company, 1110., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York v Original application November 10,1937, Serial No. 173,931. Divided and this application September 2, 1938, Serial No. 228,237

QCIaims.

- The invention relates to new and useful improvements in can end feeding mechanisms for feeding can ends one at a time from a supply station to a seaming machine where the ends are clinched to can bodies and finally doubleseamed thereon. This application is a division of the parent application flled by me on November 10, 1937, Serial Number 173,931.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel mechanism of the character stated with which is associated a can end marking means for marking the can ends after they leave the supply station and before they are delivered at the delivery station, wherein said marking means, during the marking of a can end, lifts the end from its path of travelso as to permit the reciprocating feeding means, to pass beneath the can end without contacting therewi h.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of reciprocating feeder and marking means in which an element of the marking means is movable upwardly through the feeder for'lifting a can end thereabove during the marking function.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel feeder structure including a dog for feeding can ends from the supply station to the marking station and which is depressible to prevent contact with the can ends at the supply station during retraction of the feeder, and a rigid feeding element for feeding can ends from the marking station to the delivery station'and above which the can ends are lifted to avoid element andv can end contact during retraction of the feeder.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for disabling the feed dog upon absence of a can body timed to receive the next can end Figurel is a plan view showing a cover feed,

a portion of the conveyor for the can bodies and the turrent of the clinching machine;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1; V Figure 3 is an enlarged detail showing in plan the base on which the stack is mounted and along which the ends are fed from the stack to the clinching machine and the feeding means for feeding the ends;

Figure 4 is a'sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional view onthe line 5-5 of Figure 3 Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the supporting base showing the marking devices and also the 'dog and the controlling 'means which renders the same operative forfeeding the end when there is a can body to be closed, the dog being in raisedor operative posi- 1 tion;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but showing the dog in inoperative position;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7, but showing the dog retracted and the control means in operative position for raising the dog to position for engagement with the end, and

Figure 9 is a plan view of the operating mechanism for the slide which feeds the ends, also showing the relation of the same to the lower marker.

The invention relates to a can end feeding mechanism for feeding the ends from a stack holder into a seaming machine where the ends are attached to the can bodies. for attaching the ends to the can bodies may be of any desired construction. The can bodies pass one after another into the machine. The can ends are fed fromv a stack holder through a marking mechanism and are then placed in a machine directly over the, can body so that it may be placed on the can body and seamed thereto.

The can ends are fed from the stack holder to the marker and then into the seaming machine by i'eed dogs carried by a reciprocating slide. The dog which engages the end and moves the same from beneath the stack is so connected tothe slide that it may be raised toan operative position for engagement with the end for removing it from beneath the stack holder. It also maybe lowered so that the dog will reciprocate beneath the stack holder without engagement with the end. Mechanism is associated with the dog for raising and lowering the same, and this mechanism is so constructed that the dog will The machine be lowered during its retracting stroke so that it will pass beneath the ends in the stack without rubbing against the same. There is also mecha- I This dog just referred to places the ends in the marking station, and there are a pair of dogs carried by this slide which engages the ends at the marking station and conveys the same into the seaming machine. The marking mechanism is so constructed as to raise the end when these advance dogs are on their return stroke, and thus the dogs pass beneath the ends without contacting with the same.

It is believed that the invention will be better understood by a detail description of the illustrated embodiment thereof.

The seaming machine for attaching the end to the container body may be of any desired construction and only a portion of a machine for clinching the ends to the can body is shown. The clinching machine includes avertical shaft I which is mounted for rotation in a suitable supporting frame 2. The shaft is driven by a gear wheel 3 by any suitable means. Mounted on this shaft and rotating therewith is a turret 4. Mounted in the turrent are three can end supports, each of which includes a standard 5 on which is rotatably mounted a table 6 adapted to support the can body to be closed, which is indicated in broken lines at B in Figure 1. The standard 5 is raised and lowered by means of rollers 7 running in a cam groove formed in the sleeve 8 which is fixed to the frame so that it remains stationary.

Directly above the table support 6 for the can body is a chuck 9 which is mounted in the upper section ID of the turret for free rotation. Mounted beneath the chuck 9 is a can end supporting plate H which carries a tapered ring l2 in alinement with each chuck 9. The tapered ring has a seat at its upper face for a can end, and there is also a guide i3 associated with each tapered ring for aiding in the placing of the can end on its seat on the tapered ring. After the end is seated on the tapered ring, the can body is raised through the tapered ring and the end thus centered on the rounded up can body is brought into contact with the chuck 9 and firmly held seated on the can body while the turret rotates,

bringing the edge of the 'can end into contact with the means for clinching the can end to the can body. The can body with the end clinched thereto then passes into a seaming machine for the formation of a double seam which joins the end to the can body. This clinching machine is of well-known construction and further illustration and description thereof is not thought necessary. No novelty is claimed for the clinching machine or the seaming machine associated therewith, and so far as the present invention is concerned, the can bodies and the can ends may be fed directly into the machine which seams the end to the body without this preliminary clinching operation.

The can ends are placed in a stack holder which includes a supporting base ring l4 and rods I5, l5 of the usual construction. This holds the ends stacked one above the other, and allows them to descend into the ring l4. Located beneath the ring M are guides I6, I6. The stacked can ends, when released, will move downward until they rest on these guides l6, l6. Associated with the stack holder are separator blades l1, [1. These blades are retracted from beneath the stacked can ends when the feed dogs are fully retracted, and as the feed dog associated with the stack holder approaches the stacked can ends, the separator blades [1, I! are forcibly moved inward so as to lift all of the ends in the stack off from the lowermost end and leave the same free to be moved forward along the guides l8, It by the feed dog which is associated with the stack holder.

The stack holder is mounted on an auxiliary frame structure indicated at 2a, which frame structure is supported by the main frame of the clinching machine. Directly beneath the stack holder is a reciprocating head l8 to which is attached a slide I!) by means of a bolt which is threaded into the reciprocating head. By adjusting this bolt, the position of the slide l9 relative to the head l8 may be adjusted. A feed dog 2| is mounted on this slide I0, and this feed dog operates in conjunction with the stack holder for feeding the ends from the stack holder to the marking station. At the marking station is an upper marking head 22 and a lower reciprocating marking head 23 which will be more fully described later.

The means for reciprocating the head includes a crank pin 24 carried by a crank 25 fixed to the pinion 26. The crank 25 and pinion 26 are mounted on a shaft 21 which is fixed to a disk 28 carried at the upper end of a shaft 29. This shaft 29 is keyed to a sleeve 30 carrying a bevel gear 3| which meshes with a bevel gear 32 in a shaft journaled in the frame 2, and this lastnamed shaft carries a bevel gear 33 meshing with a bevel gear 34 on the main spindle of the clinching machine.

Fixed to the auxiliary frame 2a is an internal gear 35 with which the pinion 26 meshes. When the shaft 29 is rotated, it will rotate the disk 28, and as the disk 28 rotates, it will cause the shaft 21 to move in a circular path and the pinion 26 which meshes with this internal gear to turn. It will be noted by reference to Figure 9 of the drawings that the axis of the pinion 26 is disposed exactly half way between the axis of the internal gear 35 and the pitch circle of said gear, or in other words, the pitch circle diameter of the pinion is exactly half the pitch circle diameter of the-internal gear. It will be noted also that the radius of the pitch circle of the pinion 26 coincides with the distance to which the crank pin 24 is spaced from the radius of said pinion. The gear and the pinion are thus so dimensioned that as the disk 28 rotates, the crank pin 24 will be caused to reciprocate in a right-line which is parallel with the line of travel of the can ends from the stack holder into the clinching machine. Thus it is that the head I8 is reciprocated by this continuously moving crank pin, and a relatively long path of reciprocation is given to the crank pin 24 without unduly enlarging the disk 28 and the parts associated therewith.

The feed dog 2| is pivoted at 36 to the feed slide Hi. This feed slide moves in a guideway in the auxiliary frame which supports the stack holder. A leaf spring 31 extending under the rear end of the dog normally tends to move the dog in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 6 to 8. The feed dog has a projecting lip 38 which overlies the can end. and the shoulder 39 which makes contact with the can end for moving the same along the supporting guides l6, l6. Associated with the feed dog 2| is a pawl 40. This pawl is pivoted at 4| to the feed dog. The lower end 42 of the pawl is rounded. The upper end of the pawl, when said pawl is in the position shown in Figure 6, makes contact with a shoulder 43. When the pawl is in the position shown in Figure '7, then the dog is moved by means of the spring to its lowered position, or

inoperative position. When said dog remains'in this position, it will move back and forth beneath the stack holder and will not contact with a can end therein in either direction of movement.

When the pawl is in the position shown in Figure I 6, then the dog is raised so that it will contact very desirable that .the feed dogs should not contact with the under face of the can end which may be lacquered or enameled, as the dog contacting therewith might scratch or break the lacquer and thus cause the metal to be exposed. Means is provided so that when there is no can body to receive a can end, no end will be fed from the stack, and this means is so constructed that the feed dog will be raised into position for feeding an end after the dog is retracted from beneath the stack, so that said feeddog in its retracting movements is always in'a depressed position free from contact with the end, and when the slide moves forward, it will either be depressed, if there is no can to be closed, or will be raised in order to feed an .end when there is a can to be closed.

The can bodies as they pass into the'clinching machine are moved along a support therefor by means of a conveyor chain 44. Associated with bodies are moved along the support by the conveyor 44, they are caused to contact with a lever 49. This lever is connected to an arm 56 which in turn is connected by means of a link 5| with a bell crank lever 52, and the bell crank lever 52 is connected by means of a link 53 with an arm 54 mounted at the lower end of a shaft 55. The shaft 55 carries an arm 56 at its upper end. This arm 56 is forked so as to engage a pin 51 depending from a block 58 mounted on the outer end of a rod 59 which is supported for reciprocation by a bearing sleeve 60 mounted on the frame of the machine. A spring 6| forces the rod outward and normally presses the arm 49 inward, so that if there is no can restraining the movement of the arm 49, then the rod 59 will assume its.

extreme position to the left, as viewed in Figure 3. When a can body contacts with the arrfi 49, then the arm is forced outward, and this through the linkage described, will force the pin 51 to the right, as viewed in Figure 3.

Mounted on the inner end of the rod 59 is a head 62 and slidably carried by said head is a plate 63. The pawl 40 is provided with a projecting lug 64, which lug is adapted to contact with a cam face 65 on the plate 63 when said plate is in the position shown in Figure 3. At this time, the can body is passing the outer end of the arm 49, and this can body will reach the clinching machine support at the same time that the can end is placed on the tapered ring above the can body, if the feed dog 2| ismoved to raised position on its. retracting movement. When the feed slide moves back, the lug 64' will contact with the cam 65, as shown in Figure 8, and this will force the pawlv 46 from the position shown in bolt 61.

the lower end of the pawl frictionally engages the bottom of the guideway in which the feed slide ,r'eciprocates. The frictional contact between the rounded end 42 of the pawl and the guideway tends to turn the pawl in a counter-clockwise direction at this time, and thus the feed dog is held raised. When the feed slide is retracted or moved to the right, as viewed in Figure 6, then the frictional contact between the rounded end of the pawl and-the bottom of the guideway will through the action of the leaf spring 31 thereon. If there is no can bod'y contacting with the arm- 49 so as to hold the cam 65 positioned as shown in Figure 3, then the rod '59 will be moved tothe left through the action of the spring 6| and the lug 64 will not contact with the cam surface on the plate 63 and the feed dog will not be caused so as to feed anend from the stack holder.

The plate 63 may be adjusted on the head 62 by means of an'adjusting screw 66 and is locked in adjusted positions by means of a clamping This enables the cam 65 to be set so that the feed dog will be raised after it passes from beneath the end and before the slide reverses its movement. Bythis nicety of adjustment of the cam, there is little or no lost movement in the reciprocation of the feed dog, and

neither does the feed dog contact with the under side of the can end during its retracting movements.

The can ends in the stack are lifted can endwhich is to befed forward by the separator blades H. The separator blade I! at the left of Figure 5 is mounted on a supporting member 68, which supporting member is attached to a rod 69. This rod 69 is mounted for reciprocation in the supporting, frame for the stack holder. There is a slot in the rod 69 and a pin I0 passes through the slot and serves as an abutment for a. spring II. The spring bears against an abutment screw 12 carried by the supporting member 68. This spring normally tends to force the supporting member 68 to the left, as viewed in Figure 5, and this will withdraw the separator blade from beneath the stacked ends.

The blade I! at the right is mounted on a support 68 attached to a rod 69. A pin HI passes through the rod and serves as an abutment for a spring H will normally force the separator blade I! to the right in Figure 5 so as to withdraw it from beneath the stacked ends. When the two blades are retracted, the ends will drop on to the guides l6, l6. They are in this position when the.feed dog 2| is at the rear end of its stroke.

The rod 69 is provided with a roller 13, and the rod 69" is provided with a roller 13 The feed slide I9 is provided with cam rails 14 and 14. The rollers 13 and 13*.contact, respectively, with these cam rails. The cam rails 14 and 14 have cut-away sections 15 and 15 ,-respe'ctively, (see Fig. 3). When the feed slide is fully retracted, these cut-away sections permit the rollers 13 and T3 to move outward'through the action of the springs H and H and thiswill retract'the 'separator blades. This occurs when the feed slide is fully retracted and permits the ends in the stack to movedown into contact with the guides l5, l6. On the forward movement of the feed slides, the rollers will, contact with the guides,

from the This spring II Figure 7 to the position shown in Figure 6. ,The r and these cut-away sections are so-shapedthat 76 the rollers will be forced inwardly toward the center of the stack and this will forcibly move the separator blades between the lowermost end and the remainder of the ends in the stack and the stack will be lifted from the lowermost end, releasing the same so that the feed dog may contact therewith and remove the same from beneath the stack. The ends of the blades l1, H are beveled as indicated at Il to facilitate the separation of the stacked ends from the lowermost end and the raising of the same.

The feed dog 2I upon the forward reciprocation of the feed slide moves the can end from the stack to the marking station where the desired marking is impressed in the metal of the can end. The marking station includes two marking heads 22 and 23. The marking head 23 is carried by a rod I8 mounted for reciprocation in a bearing sleeve 11 formed as a part of the auxiliary frame of the seaming machine. The lower end of this rod is forked and located in the forked end is a roller 78 which is mounted on a pin I9. The roller I8 bears on a cam 80 mounted on a shaft 8| which rotates in a bearing sleeve 82. This shaft 8| carries a bevel gear 83 which meshes with a bevel gear 84 on the shaft 29. As the shaft 29 rotates, the cam 80 will cause the rod to raise. A spring 85 located in a bore in the rod I6 bears against a pin 81 in the sleeve TI and also against an abutment plug carried by the rod. This is a compression spring and it serves to move the rod downward, holding the roller in contact with the earn 80, so that it 'is the cam 88 which controls the up and down movements of the lower marking head 23. The upper marking head 22 is carried by a rod 88 which is clamped in a bracket 89. The bracket is provided with a recess for the rod and a clamping bolt 90 secures the rod in a set position. An adjusting screw 9I serves as an abutment for the rod 88 and determines its set position. This bracket 89 is mounted on a pin 92 (see Fig. 1) which is fixed in lugs 93, 93 carried by the auxiliary frame. These lugs are located at one side of the path of moven'fent of the ends from the stack holder to the seaming machine. At the other end 'of the bracket 89 there is a clamping bolt 94 which is pivoted to a lug 95 carried by the auxiliary frame. This bolt swings between the forked ends of the bracket 89 and a clamping nut 96 serves to hold the bracket with the upper marking head in aQfixed position. When it is desired to remove the upper marking head from its operative position to change a marker or to gain access to the can end slide beneath this upper marker head, the

nut 98 is released and the bracket is swung onits pivot to a raised position.

It is sometimes desirable to gain access to the guideways for the can ends beneath the stack holder in case of a jam. The stack holder ring I4 is pivoted at 91 to the auxiliary frame, and when in operative position as shown in Figure 3, an adjustable lug 98 carried by the ring lies directly beneath the bracket 89. An adjustable bolt 99 contacts with this lug 98. When the bracket 89 is raised, the bolt 99 is moved away from the lug 98 and the stack holder may be shifted to a tilted position on its pivot 91. An arm I carried by the ring contacts with the auxiliary frame and limits the tilting movement given to the stack holder.

.The marking heads are of the usual character and a detail description of the same is not thought necessary. The end is placed between the marking heads by the feed dog 2I, and after it is positioned between the marking heads and centered relative to the same,.the lower marking head 23 moves upward, contacts with the lower face of the end and lifts it into contact with the upper marking head 22 which is stationary. After the desired marking is embossed in the metal of the can end, then the lower marking head descends and the end will pass down with the same until it is placed on the guides along which the end slides from the stack V holder to the seaming machine.

The guide I6 at the left of the machine, as viewed in Fig. 3, is provided with slots II, I 0|, which are at right angles to the path of reciprocation of the feed slide. Clamping bolts I02, 102 are provided for clamping the guide in a set position. The guide I6 at the right, as shown in Figure 3, is provided with similar slots IOI IOI and clamping bolts I02, I02 serve to secure this guide in a set position. Each guide is provided with a ledge I03 which extends from one end of the guide to the other end thereof. When the guides are in a set position, the distances between the ledges are such that a can end indicated at C in Figure 3, will overlie the ledge and rest thereon. This serves as a means, for supporting the ends so that they may be fed from the stack holder to the marking station and thence to the seating ring associated with the seaming machine. These guides are each provided with an overhanging lip I04 which overlies the end during the greater portion of its travel so as to retain it on the supporting ledges I03, I03. These retaining lips terminate at I close to the stack holder so that the end may drop on to the ledge and pass beneath the lips. The lips also terminate at points I08 and begin again at points I01 and extend all the rest of the way to the ends of the guides. Between the points I06 and I0! the lip is cut away so as to permit the end to be raised off from the ledges and into contact with the upper marking head.

The feed slide extends to a point beyond the marking station when the feed slide is in forward position as shown in Figure 3. It has a central portion, however, cut away, so as to provide a recess through which the marking head 22 passes as it moves up into contact with the can end and raises the same into engagement with the upper marking head. Fixed to the extreme forward end of the feed'slide are two feed dogs I08, I08. These feed dogs are rigidly attached to the feed slide and operate to engage the end at the ,marking station and move the same on to the seating ring.

At each seaming cycle, an end is removed from the stack holder and placed at the marking station. At the next following cycle, the end is taken from the marking station and placed on the seating ring, and another end is moved from the stack holder into the marking station. This occurs only when the can bodies are moving one after another into the seaming machine. If there is no can body to which the end is to be attached passing into the machine, then the arm 49 will move so as to withdraw the cam 85 and the pawl will not contact therewith and the feed dog will not be raised to engage an end to move the same into the marking station. Whenthe can bodies again pass 50% to move the arm 49 outward, then the cam 85 movesinward and operates toengage the pawl and shift the pawl so as to raise the feed dog into operative position. As has already been stated, when the pawl is ing station and is then retracted. If the dog is in raised position and has fed an end to the markingstation, as it starts its retracting movement again, the pawl contacting with the slide will be turned so as to permit the lowering of the feed dog through the action of the spring thereon, and the spring will maintain the dog in its lowered position during its retracting movement. The dog will, therefore, be lowered on all retracting movements of the feed slide, regardless of whether an end is to be fed to the seaming machine, and when an end is fed to the seaming machine, the dog likewise will be lowered on its retracting movement. At no time can the dog contact with the lower end in the stack and scratch or injure the same on its retracting movement. The dog 2| thus comprises what might be termed a four motion feed dog. v

The feed dogs I 08 move back and forth in a fixed raised position and will engage an end resting on the guides and move the same along the guides to the seating ring of the seaming machine. During the retracting movement of these dogs to a position to contact with an end, the end is raised by the lower marking head to the posi tion shown in Figure '7, and it is during this marking of the end that the dogs are retracted to the position shown in Figure 8. Therefore, the retracting of the dogs will cause the same to pass beneath the end which is being marked .without contacting with the same so as to scratch or injure the enameled surface of the end.

The operation of the cam end feeding mechanism has been described in connection with the detail description of the mechanism, and further explanation is not thought necessary.

Attached to the auxiliary frameis a bracket I09 which projects beneath the upper section II) of the turret. This bracket carries a plate H which is curved about the axis of rotation of the turret. The seating ring I! has cut-away sections in its under face so that the ring may travel over the bracket and the plate I Ill be close to the plane of the seat on which the can end rests. The purpose of this plate is to prevent any tilting of the end as it is moved by the feed dogs I08 on to the ring and against the feed guide I3.

It is obvious that many changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In can end feeding means, a can end suppl station, a can end delivery station. a marking station between said supply and delivery stations, can end m'arking devices at said marking station, a pair of laterally spaced guide rails having opposed grooves therein extending at a single level from the supply station to the delivery station for receiving extreme lateral edge portions only of can ends being fed from the supply station to the marking station and from the marking station to the delivery station, a continuously re ciprocated can end feeder movable between said rails and having spaced can end feeding fingers engageable with can ends for moving them from the marking station to the delivery station and a four motion feed dog engageable with can ends at the supply station for feeding them to the marking station, said grooves constituting the sole means of support for said can ends, said marking devices including an element movable upwardly between the spaced fingers to lift can ends during marking thereof and prevent contact of said fingers with can ends at the marking station and during retraction of the feeder, said grooves being interrupted upwardly at the marking station to'permit lifting and lowering movement of can ends at the marking station, means effective upon each retraction of the feeder for lowering the dog to avoid contact thereof with can ends at the supply station, and means for again lifting the dog into effective position after it has passed beneath can ends at the supplystation.

2. In can end feeding means, a can end supply station, a can end delivery station, a marking station between said supply and delivery stations, can end marking devices at said marking station, a pair of laterally spaced guide rails having opposed grooves therein extending at a single level from the supply station to the delivery station for receiving extreme lateral edge portions only of can ends being fed from the supply station to the marking station and from the marking station to the delivery station, a continuously reciprocated can end feeder movable between said rails and having spac'ed can end feeding fingers engageable with can ends for moving them from the marking station to the delivery station and a four motion feed dog engageable with can ends at the supply station for feeding them to the marking station, said grooves constituting the sole means'of support for said can ends, said marking devices including an element movable upwardly between the spaced fingers to lift can ends during marking thereof and prevent contact of saidiingers with can ends at the marking station and during retraction of the feeder, said grooves being interrupted upwardly at the marking station to permit lifting and loweringmovement of can ends at the marking station, means effective-upon each retraction of the feeder for lowering the dog to avoid contactthereof with can ends at the supply station, means for again lifting the dog into effective position after it has passed beneath can ends at the supply station, and means for displacing said last named means to prevent feeding of can ends from the supply station without preventing the feeder of a marked canend from the marking station.

O'I'IO A. SCI-IMI'IT. 

